I was playing around on youtube this morning and I found a video of the 1981 North Carolina-Virginia game they played in the Final Four that year. It wasn't just a highlight video, it was a video of the game in its entirety. This was the third time North Carolina and Virginia had played that year, with Virginia winning the first two times after North Carolina had double digit leads in the second half.
I really forgot how good of a player Al Wood was when he was at North Carolina. North Carolina also had a Freshman named Sam Perkins and a Sophomore named James Worthy. Virginia countered with all time leading scorer (at that time) Jeff Lamp and a 7'4" Sophomore named Ralph Sampson.
Al Wood scored a semifinal record 39 points in this game breaking Jerry West's record, 27 of those points in the second half. When Wood got hot, he was unstoppable. He scored on drives to the baskets, midrange jump shots, and even hit a long jump shot or two. He was 14 of 19 from the field and 11 of 13 from the free throw line and he carried the Tarheels in the second half. Sam Perkins had 11 points, Jimmy Black had 10, James Worthy had 8 points and Freshman Matt Doherty also had 8 points.
This game showcased Dean Smith's coaching at his finest. He had a game plan for Ralph Sampson and Same Perkins and the rest of the Tarheels surrounded him for the whole game and held him to 11 points on 3 for 10 shooting. Sam Perkins even went straight up with him late in the second half and blocked one of his jump shots. The Tarheels constantly changed defenses, ran full court presses, played man, played various zone defenses. It was a thing of beauty.
Watching this game made me miss the days of no shot clocks and no three point line. The games actually involved strategy, coaching, and it was the way basketball was meant to be played.
Showing posts with label James Worthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Worthy. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The Four Corners
Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tarheels honored Dean Smith by starting today's game against Georgia Tech running the Four Corners offense. Roy Williams had on a vintage Dean Smith Sports Jacket and as soon as Marcus Paige gained control of the basketball, Roy Williams held up four fingers. It took about five seconds for the Tarheels to score as Brice Johnson went back door and Marcus Paige fed him the ball for a layup. The Georgia Tech players were not sure what was going on because I am sure they have never seen that before.
Dean Smith installed the Four Corners offense as a means to control the ball and kill the clock and to create easy scoring opportunities with a lead late in the game. Phil Ford was the force behind the Four Corners in the days before the shot clock.
Many point to the North Carolina- Virginia game in 1982 pitting James Worthy vs. Ralph Sampson as to why the Shot Clock was instituted in the college game. North Carolina went into the Four Corners offense nursing a 2 or 4 point lead with about 9 or 10 minutes to go in the game. They ended up winning the game because of the Four Corners and most fans felt that when Dean Smith took the air out of the ball, it changed the competitive balance of the game and did not give Ralph Sampson an opportunity to win the game.
Dean Smith installed the Four Corners offense as a means to control the ball and kill the clock and to create easy scoring opportunities with a lead late in the game. Phil Ford was the force behind the Four Corners in the days before the shot clock.
Many point to the North Carolina- Virginia game in 1982 pitting James Worthy vs. Ralph Sampson as to why the Shot Clock was instituted in the college game. North Carolina went into the Four Corners offense nursing a 2 or 4 point lead with about 9 or 10 minutes to go in the game. They ended up winning the game because of the Four Corners and most fans felt that when Dean Smith took the air out of the ball, it changed the competitive balance of the game and did not give Ralph Sampson an opportunity to win the game.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Big Game James
I saw the book Showtime by Jeff Pearlman at Barnes & Noble while I was kicking around trying to find some new reading material the other day. It was about the 1980's Los Angeles Lakers of which former UNC great James Worthy was an integral part during his entire 12 year career. I came home and looked up James Worthy's stats and I was surprised to discover he had only won two major awards during his professional career. He was named to the 1983 NBA All-Rookie team and he won the 1988 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. At some point and time in his career he was tagged with the nickname "Big Game James" for his ability to play his best in the most important games. This really started while he was at North Carolina. I will never forget his 28 point performance against Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA Championship game. He took it to Patrick Ewing. Ewing blocked several shots early in the game (all goal tending call) in an effort to intimidate Worthy and the Tarheels but it wasn't about to happen. Worthy was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1982 NCAA Tournament and was the #1 Draft Pick by the Los Angeles Lakers after he decided to turn pro. He was elected to the NBA Hall Of Fame in 2003 and was later named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. His #52 hangs in the rafters at the Dean Dome and his #42 has been retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The ACC Tournament
As far as sports are concerned, The ACC tournament has always been my favorite time of year. Growing up, it was the only day of the year that my Mom would let me skip school. That "tradition" started when I was in about the 6th grade.
The Tarheels were always the #1 or #2 seed so they would always play at 12 or 7. I used to tell Mom I needed to be home by 12. Mom would come pick me up at school so I could be home in time for the games to start or she would let me stay out of school altogether. I would usually go shoot baskets at halftime to help burn off some energy.
I particularly remember the 1982 ACC Tournament. It was Michael Jordan's Freshman year but he was only about the third best player on that team behind James Worthy and Sam Perkins.
That tournament was epic especially the Final against Ralph Sampson and the University of Virginia. Ralph Sampson was 7'4" and very athletic and there had never been another player like him before. It was his Senior year and he had been a thorn in the 'Heels side the whole time he had been at Virginia. The story I always heard was that he almost picked the 'Heels over Virginia but couldn't disappoint his grandmother by leaving the state to go to college.
UNC won the tournament final against Virginia 47-45 but that game is credited for bringing about the shot clock in college basketball. UNC had a 4 or 6 point lead with about 8 minutes to go and went into Dean Smith's famous 4 corners offense to kill the clock. I watched that game with my father and we both thought that Dean Smith went into that offense way too early but it worked out for them.
The Tarheels were always the #1 or #2 seed so they would always play at 12 or 7. I used to tell Mom I needed to be home by 12. Mom would come pick me up at school so I could be home in time for the games to start or she would let me stay out of school altogether. I would usually go shoot baskets at halftime to help burn off some energy.
I particularly remember the 1982 ACC Tournament. It was Michael Jordan's Freshman year but he was only about the third best player on that team behind James Worthy and Sam Perkins.
That tournament was epic especially the Final against Ralph Sampson and the University of Virginia. Ralph Sampson was 7'4" and very athletic and there had never been another player like him before. It was his Senior year and he had been a thorn in the 'Heels side the whole time he had been at Virginia. The story I always heard was that he almost picked the 'Heels over Virginia but couldn't disappoint his grandmother by leaving the state to go to college.
UNC won the tournament final against Virginia 47-45 but that game is credited for bringing about the shot clock in college basketball. UNC had a 4 or 6 point lead with about 8 minutes to go and went into Dean Smith's famous 4 corners offense to kill the clock. I watched that game with my father and we both thought that Dean Smith went into that offense way too early but it worked out for them.
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